Ashley frowned as she reached the bottom of the stairs, glancing around the quiet living room. Noticing a faint noise, she peeked into the kitchen and found Mia standing by the counter, lost in thought.

"What are you doing?" Ashley asked, crossing her arms as she leaned against the doorway, her brow raised.

Startled, Mia turned to face her, chuckling awkwardly. "I was thinking if I should cook you something."

Ashley tilted her head, a faint scoff escaping her lips. "Why would you even do that? I'm not your responsibility," she said, shaking her head. "I can handle myself."

"Right," Mia muttered, nodding hesitantly. "But... have you eaten anything since you got home?"

Ashley avoided her gaze, tugging at the sleeves of her sweater. "No, but I can just order something. You don't have to worry about me." She turned, intending to walk away.

"Ash," Mia called, taking a step closer. "Are you trying to avoid me?"

Ashley froze mid-step, biting her lip. "Why would I?" she asked without turning around.

"I don't know," Mia said softly, standing behind her. "It just feels like you are."

Ashley chuckled dryly, though it lacked humor. "That's just your imagination, Mia."

"No, it's not," Mia insisted, her voice firmer. "I'm not naive. I can tell when someone's avoiding me. And right now—"

"That's not it!" Ashley snapped, spinning around to face her.

Mia flinched slightly at her tone. "Did you just yell at me?" she asked, frowning.

Ashley ran a hand down her face, exhaling sharply. "I... I didn't mean to, I'm sorry," she said, voice low.

"Then what is it?" Mia pressed. "If you don't want me here, just say so! Don't yell at me like—"

Before Mia could finish, Ashley pulled her into a kiss.

Mia's eyes widened in shock as her hands instinctively grabbed the hem of Ashley's sweater. Her mind raced, but her body betrayed her as she slowly shut her eyes and leaned into the kiss. Ashley's hands cupped her face, gentle yet insistent, as if afraid to let go.

Mia's heart pounded wildly in her chest. She felt Ashley's arm slide around her waist, pulling her closer, and without thinking, her arms wrapped around Ashley's neck. Her mind screamed that they should stop, but how could she?

Suddenly, her phone rang, snapping her back to reality. Mia gasped, breaking the kiss as she stepped back, her breath uneven. Both women stood there, staring at each other in silence.

Clearing her throat, Mia turned toward the couch to grab her phone, but Ashley caught her hand.

"Ash?" Mia glanced down at their hands, then back at Ashley's face. Her voice faltered. "I... I need to—"

Ashley pulled her into a hug, her arms wrapping around Mia tightly.

"Ash..." Mia mumbled, stunned.

"I'm sorry," Ashley whispered. "I didn't mean to yell. It's just..." She hesitated, her grip tightening slightly.

Mia shut her eyes, biting her lip as the phone stopped ringing. Letting out a bitter laugh, she whispered, "Why are you doing this?"

Ashley buried her face in Mia's shoulder. "Because I like you," she admitted, her voice trembling. "Let me... let me treat you better. Let me treat you the best."

Mia stood frozen, her mind swirling with emotions. After a moment, she let out a shaky breath, her arms wrapping hesitantly around Ashley. "Ash..." she whispered, unable to find the right words.



Ashley blinked, staring at Mia in bewilderment. She frowned, rubbing her earlobe as if trying to process what Mia had just said. "What did you just say?" she asked, her tone laced with disbelief, wondering if she'd misheard.

"I said I'll be staying the night. You mentioned you live alone, so I figured you might need some help," Mia replied, repeating herself casually.

Ashley sat up straighter, her expression incredulous. "You do realize you're talking about staying at my house, right? Are you even serious?"

Tilting her head, Mia raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so nervous? It's not like I'm planning to take advantage of you—" She paused abruptly, her eyes widening before she gasped, covering her mouth. "You're not thinking something wild, are you?!"

Ashley coughed, wincing as her hand instinctively went to her abdomen. "W-what? No! I'm not—I mean, it's not—what?!" she stammered, her face flushing.

"I see you, Detective!" Mia accused, pointing her finger at Ashley. "You're thinking about something!"

"What the hell, Mia?" Ashley chuckled, though her voice wavered. "I'm not!" she protested, the blush on her cheeks betraying her.

"Then why is your face like that? You're flustered!" Mia shot back, narrowing her eyes.

"I am not!" Ashley insisted, avoiding Mia's gaze.

Mia chuckled, clearing her throat. "Ash," she called softly.

Ashley turned to her, brows furrowing. "What now?"

"I want to ask you something. Just out of curiosity." Mia's tone was nonchalant, but there was a glint of mischief in her eyes.

Ashley nodded, leaning against the armrest of the couch. She rested her chin on the back of her hand and gestured for Mia to continue. "Go on."

Mia leaned closer, grinning. "How do you know Nyx?"

Ashley scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "How do I know Nyx? We were high school friends. Actually, we were a trio back then—Nyx, me, and... Natalie."

Mia nodded thoughtfully, her smile softening. "I see." She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "And you and Nyx? I mean... about..."

Ashley chuckled knowingly. "About the hookups?"

Mia's eyes widened, but she nodded. "I mean, if it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to—"

"It's just that—hookups." Ashley shrugged nonchalantly. "We were bored, didn't want relationships, so we hooked up. Simple as that. It never crossed the line into something that would ruin our friendship. We knew where the boundaries were."

"Wow," Mia said, laughing softly. "That's a unique way to deal with boredom."

Ashley laughed with her. "It wasn't like it happened all the time," she said defensively. "I could count the times on my hand—foot toes excluded, of course."

Mia blinked in surprise. "Wait—but I thought-"

"Friends with benefits?" Ashley interjected, and Mia nodded. "Not really. Sure, we kissed, and yeah, we fuck around together. But there were never any feelings involved. We'd just make fun of each other afterward, like a couple of idiots. Thankfully, Nyx found Vera and settled down. She finally got her life together."

Mia swallowed hard, her tone quieter. "But you're still single."

"Then make me less single," Ashley quipped, laughing.

Mia rolled her eyes. "It's good Vera lets you visit them, though. A lot of people wouldn't be okay with that."

"Nyx is lucky to have Vera," Ashley said with a fond smile. "And it's not like I'm a threat to their marriage. I'd never mess with someone's relationship, especially not Nyx's. I never had feelings for that idiot, anyway."

Mia laughed, shaking her head. "You three were a trio, huh? Like me, Riley, and Sienna. And now here I am—divorced and single."

"I can make you less single too," Ashley teased.

"Whatever!" Mia muttered, rolling her eyes. After a moment, her voice softened. "But Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you ever move on?" Mia asked hesitantly, her gaze cautious. "From... the Inspector?"

Ashley's smile faltered, and she straightened in her seat. "Where did you hear that?"

"I... um..."

"Nyx, I'm guessing?" Ashley sighed, shaking her head. "I've moved on, Mia. Actually, I've been thinking about starting a new relationship. It's been years—literally years."

Mia hesitated before asking, "Then... why me?"

Ashley's gaze softened, and her lips curved into a small smile. "Why not you?"